Real Innovation, Right Here

Patient Impact from Bench to Bedside

Real Innovation is Right Here

As we chronicle the past year, we’re excited to report on our successes, milestones and innovative moments that really mattered. The year 2014 was packed with positive change and evolution—we welcomed new talent, published exciting studies, secured patents, received grants and awards, launched new collaborations and, most notably, integrated with Scott & White for a bigger, better Baylor research team.

International collaborations
enable research from both a homegrown and abroad standpoint, allowing BRI researchers to interact with, teach and learn from investigators around the world

Dear Friends of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute

We have many reasons to celebrate the phenomenal successes that have come out of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute—and that’s why we are beyond thrilled to share with you this Report to the Community. In these pages, you will find testaments of extraordinary innovation, new technologies and, above all, how researchers at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute have impacted patients’ lives for the better. We wouldn’t be able to tell these stories without the support of our colleagues and friends, whose lifetime commitments to research and patient-centric care have brought us to where we are today. Baylor Scott & White Research Institute is at the forefront of innovative health care, and it’s important that we continue to celebrate our past achievements as we look ahead.

This past year was exceptional for Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, no doubt due to a trio of significant accomplishments:

Foremost among them, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix announced an agreement that extends their research collaboration to focus on accelerating treatments for patients with a broad range of cancers, following years of clinical collaboration on previous projects. This will provide a great opportunity for Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and TGen to work together in precision medicine practices, beginning in the oncology arena of research.

Last year also brought with it the continuation of a multimillion-dollar grant for the Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, which was first established in 2009 when M. Virginia Pascual, MD, received a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2014, Dr. Pascual and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute received a $3.3 million grant from NIAMS to continue research in autoimmune diseases. Her efforts in this research area have led to multiple successes, including a patent for compositions and methods for the systemic treatment of arthritis.

Completing the trifecta of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute’s accomplishments was the recent addition of researchers Tawanda Gumbo, MD, as the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Experimental Therapeutics, and Peter McCullough, MD, MPH, FACC, who leads research at the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute (BHVI). These investigators’ dynamic and innovative approaches to research have made them both tremendous assets in the short time that they have been at Baylor Research Institute.

Due to the hard work of our more than 300 research investigators throughout Baylor Scott & White Health, many valuable clinical trials were added to Baylor Scott & White Research Institute’s roster in 2014. Baylor Scott & White Research Institute now has more than 1,000 active clinical studies in a number of specialties, including our top research areas: cardiovascular, oncology, transplant and gastroenterology services. Ajay Goel, PhD, has continued to gain more grants in support of his colon cancer research, which is gaining more national and international acclaim. Gerard Zurawski, PhD, is continuing to work with researchers in Paris at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the French equivalent of the NIH, in the development of a vaccine for HIV, which is now entering human trials. Targeted vaccines are being developed as part of an immunotherapy approach to treating cancer, in particular breast, pancreatic, and head and neck cancers. Sangkon Oh, PhD, has achieved grant support and significant success in this work.

Our extensive clinical platform, which sets Baylor Scott & White Research Institute apart from other academic and commercial research centers, has only enhanced our reputation and footprint across the globe as we continue to provide new technologies and treatment—right to the patient.

Looking ahead, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute will continue to form significant collaborations that will lend us more support and larger core facilities, and will help us continue to accelerate the development of our service lines. It is these collaborations—as well as the driven staff—that provide us the opportunities to be successful.

Last year was indeed a transformational year for Baylor Scott & White Health and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. Thank you for your interest and continued support as we launch inspirations for even bigger and better achievements in the coming years. Together, we will advance research into a new era of innovation, collaboration and patient-centric care.

Sincerely,

Michael A. E. Ramsay, MD, FRCA
President

Our Team

With an esteemed team of more than 300 nationally and internationally recognized researchers, the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute (BSWRI) is committed to finding and applying medical and health care delivery innovations within lab and clinical settings. Led by Dr. Michael A. E. Ramsay—a practicing board-certified anesthesiologist and a champion for collaboration and strategic alliances—the team furthers BSWRI’s mission to improve the medical care and well-being of our community through innovative research.

Numbers Highlights

Our reputation for medical innovation and groundbreaking discoveries enhances Baylor Scott & White Health’s ability to attract the most skilled professionals on both the research and the clinical sides.

Raphael Schiffmann, MD, MHSC

Director of the Institute of Metabolic Disease at Baylor Research InstituteRead Bio >

Our Investigators

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Innovation Office

In the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute Innovation Office, our goal is to help transform BSWH research outcomes into products that will ultimately help patients. In doing so, we evaluate patent, market and license technology developed by BSWH faculty in alignment with our ultimate mission: to enable BSWH investigators to protect and commercialize their innovations, and ultimately to improve the lives of patients by ensuring that Baylor discoveries, treatments and technologies realize their full potential.

Our Reach

Our expansive geographic reach allows Baylor Scott & White Research Institute to offer more patients the opportunity to participate in innovative research right in their neighborhoods. Currently, more than 900 active research studies are underway for a variety of disease states, including immunology, infectious disease, oncology, autoimmune disease and rheumatology, as well as genomics, dermatology, transplantation, metabolic disease and cardiovascular disease.

Within Texas alone, statewide collaborations and joint research efforts are bringing more innovations to Texans than ever. Notably, the merger of Baylor Health Care System with Scott & White Healthcare connected the talents and resources of two major health care systems in North and Central Texas, resulting in a wider geographic reach and broader capabilities. In addition, the Collaborative Faculty Research Investment Program (CFRIP) is a joint initiative from Baylor University, Baylor Scott & White Health and the Baylor College of Medicine that funds selected projects across the state. Additionally, grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) have supported Baylor’s oncology research significantly.

In May 2015, Baylor Research Institute and Arizona’s Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) launched a unique collaboration related to oncological precision medicine. The significant agreement pairs BRI’s strengths in metabolomics and immune-based approaches with TGen’s forte in genomics and proteomics. As a result, the joint effort, which focuses on early detection and cancer treatment, will give patients greater access to liquid biopsies, gene sequencing, personalized vaccines and expanded clinical trials.

International collaborations extend our reach beyond Texas, allowing BRI researchers to interact with, teach and learn from investigators around the world. This global component provides a unique and exclusive opportunity for local patients to access important clinical trials taking place beyond Texas’ borders.

Newsroom

With the number of studies conducted at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute—and the significant contributions our research makes to the field of medicine—it’s important that we find new and exciting ways to keep the public informed. In recent years, we’ve published everything from stories about clinical trials that have made an impact to infographics that provide an easier understanding of our research. In the Newsroom, you’ll find the latest research updates from Baylor Scott & White Research Institute.

Latest Updates

Immunotherapy: The Next Frontier for Treating Disease

How to Deliver Bad News with Empathy

High Standards for Ethics, excellence and Quality

Research projects taking place at Baylor Health Care System go through Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, which is an AAHRPP (Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs) accredited institution. As a voluntary, peer-driven, educationally based model of accreditation, the AAHRPP seeks to recognize quality human research protection programs of organizations that involve patients in research projects. For an organization to receive accreditation, standards must meet or exceed federal regulatory requirements for protection and must be reasonable, attainable and representative of current best practices. The Baylor Scott & White Research Institute received full accreditation from AAHRPP in December of 2003 and was re-accredited in 2006, 2009 and 2015.

Ronald D. Murff

Director, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Chairman Elect)

A seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in banking, Mr. Murff has held several leadership roles in the financial industry. In addition to serving on Baylor Research Institute’s board of directors and executive committee of the board, Mr. Murff serves as vice chairman of the board of Baylor University. He also serves on the board for Baylor University Medical Center and the Southwest Transplant Alliance. He holds a B.B.A. from Baylor University and is a certified public accountant in Texas.

Kent Eastman

As state president for Capital One Bank in Texas, Mr. Eastman is focused on continuously improving the Capital One Bank customer experience, growing revenue and leveraging market opportunities. He oversees the bank’s community resources and activities designed to help meet the needs of each local community, including philanthropy, volunteerism and community banking products and services. Mr. Eastman serves on numerous boards, including the board of directors of Downtown Dallas Inc., Texans for Education Reform advisory board, and the Crystal Charity Ball Committee advisory board, and he is a member of the Dallas Citizens Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Tennessee Technological University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee-Nashville, and he is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking.

Erle Nye

Chairman Emeritus, TXU Corp., President, EN Consulting

With a forty-plus year career behind him, Mr. Nye has been hailed as a visionary in the energy industry. Dubbed the “father of deregulation in Texas,” Mr. Nye was a key player in the passage of deregulation legislation in Texas in 1999 and boasts a storied career with TXU, including as the company’s chairman and CEO. In addition to serving as chairman of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation, he also served as vice chairman of the Governor’s Business Council. He is past chairman of the President’s Infrastructure Advisory Council in three administrations. He is also on the boards of the United Way Foundation, The Salvation Army and KERA. Mr. Nye holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University, a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University, and was awarded a Doctor of Science Honoris Causa from the Baylor College of Dentistry.

John B. McWhorter III

Chief Operations Officer

Mr. McWhorter is responsible for the leadership and operations of 18 hospitals, more than $2.7 billion in revenue, 3,000 medical staff members and 10,000 employees at Baylor Scott & White Health. He also serves as president of the health care system’s flagship hospital, Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) at Dallas, a 1,069-bed nonprofit academic hospital, which has been nationally recognized. He became president of BUMC in May 2005 after having served as chief operating officer since 2003. Mr. McWhorter is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and finance. He recently completed his Doctor of Science in health administration from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Prior to that, he completed his Master of Science in health care administration from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Paul B. Convery, MD

Dr. Convery is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Baylor Health Care System. Dr. Convery has more than 20 years of medical management and health care leadership experience, including serving as executive vice president and chief medical officer of SSM Health Care in St. Louis, leading them to be the first health care winner of the distinguished Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Dr. Convery has dedicated much of his career to working with physicians and operational leadership to advance health care improvement initiatives. Dr. Convery graduated from medical school at the University of Illinois.

Michael A. E. Ramsay, MD, FRCA

President of the Baylor Research Institute

Dr. Ramsay leads and accelerates research efforts for Baylor Health Care System (BHCS). Since joining the research organization in 2000, he has developed a successful infrastructure that has increased the number of clinical trials from 250 to more than 1,000 active trials today. Under his leadership, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute has attained substantial achievements in advancing clinically relevant research through more than $100 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health as well as significant support from philanthropists. This includes the formation of the Ramsay Endowed Chair in Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Ramsay has been a member of the medical staff of Baylor University Medical Center since 1976 and serves as a member of the board of trustees. He is currently chairman of the department of anesthesiology and pain management and is involved in a number of clinical research projects for which he is the principal investigator. He has published more than 150 scientific manuscripts and textbook chapters.

Jaime Walkowiak, JD

Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Research

As the senior vice president of research and chief operating officer, Jaime oversees the research infrastructure of Baylor Scott & White Health Research by integrating research into all levels of the Baylor Health Care System, facilitating growth of new and existing research programs, and expanding collaboration. Jaime will also oversee the development of industry and business relations for research through partnerships, business ventures, licensing and other related opportunities. She joined Baylor in 2007 as assistant general counsel after several years of experience in legal and research settings, both in Dallas and her native Boston. Her prior life science experience includes clinical research and project management in leading health care institutions such as Massachusetts General, Harvard Medical School and Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Jaime has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Suffolk University and a juris doctorate degree from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.

Renee Day, CPA

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President

Ms. Day manages the finances for research operations at Baylor Research Institute (BRI), supports BRI’s business development projects and oversees investor relations. She joined BRI in 2009, having served as chief financial officer of the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers. Prior to that, she served as vice president of finance for the Baylor Health Care System Foundation from 2004 through 2008. Her diverse business and nonprofit experience includes two years of service in Lithuania as a small economic development and nongovernmental organizations volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps. She holds a B.B.A. degree from Angelo State University and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of North Texas. She is a certified public accountant.

Elizabeth Cothran

Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer

Ms. Cothran has been at Baylor Research Institute since April 2002. From 2002 to 2011, she was the director of the Office of Research Subject Protection. In that role, she created an Institutional Review Board (IRB) setup that ranks among the most professional in the country, culminating with a full AAHRP accreditation first obtained in 2003, with reaccreditation in 2006, 2009 and 2015. In 2011 she assumed additional responsibilities for all research regulatory affairs for Baylor Health Care System, and in 2015, she was promoted to vice president and chief regulatory officer for research at Baylor Scott & White Health and assumed a system role for these responsibilities in both central and North Texas. She has served as a site visitor and a member of the board of directors for the Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), and is also a member of Public Responsibility in Medicine & Research (PRIM&R) and was formerly a council member in ARENA, the membership arm of PRIM&R. Ms. Cothran has a master’s degree in management from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She has received certifications in Health Care Research Compliance (CHRC), Health Care Privacy Compliance (CHPC) and as a Certified IRB Professional (CIP).

Our Investigators

Amanda Abramson

Ohoud Abu-hijleh

Jenny Adams, PhD

Aasim Afzal, MD

Edward Agura, MD

Asra Akbar, MD

Naveena Allada, MD

Kandace Anderson

Mindy Andrews Smart, RN

Tiffany Anthony, MD

Andrew Applewhite, MD

David Arnold, MD

Mohammad Ashfaq, MD

Jamile Ashmore, PhD

Sumeet Asrani, MD

Manish Assar, MD

Travis Ast, PharmD

Laura Austin, PhD

Tyson Bain, PhD

Jeanine Baisch, PhD

Chris Bajaj, DO

Sahil Bakshi, MD

David Ballard, MD, MSPH, PhD, FACP

Lauren Banks, MD

Jerry Barker, MD

Sunni Barnes, PhD

Yousri Barri, MD

Claudia Beal, PhD, RN

Carlos Becerra, MD

Raul Benavides, MD

Lynda Bennett

Brian Berryman, MD

Thomas Beveridge, MD

Megan Blaufuss

Joanne Blum, MD, PhD, FACP

C. Richard Boland, MD

Sarah Boostrom, MD

Teodoro Bottiglieri, PhD

Bruce Bowers, MD

William Brinkman, MD

James Brodsky, MD

David Brown, MD

Nestor Bunda, DTh

Micah Burch, MD

James Burdick

Sukesh Burjonroppa, MD

Kathleen Cammack, MD

Lynn Canavan, MD

Sandra Carey, PhD, MPH

Michael Carley, MD

Melissa Carry, MD

Keith Cavaness, DO

Scott Celinski, MD

Arun Chandrakantan, MD

Sandra Chapman, PhD

Sanket Chauhan, MD

Li Ern Chen, MD

Edson Cheung, MD

Arpitha Chiruvolu, MD

James Choi, MD

Timothy Clark, PhD

Edward Clifford, MD

Noelle Cloven, MD

James Cochran, MD

Scott Coleman, MS

Ashley Collinsworth, MPH

Cristie Columbus, MD

Janice Compton

Lisa Concannon

K. Michelle Constance, RN

Alan Cook

Barry Cooper, MD

Daniel Cooper, MD

Lance Cowey, MD

Thomas Cox, PsyD

Yvonne Coyle, MD

Marco Cura, MD

John Cush, MD

Marie Dahdah, PhD

Kathryn Daniel, PhD, RN

Kathryn Dao, MD

Tuoc Dao, MD

Tony Das

Themistocles Dassopoulos, MD

Michael Davis, ThM

Lydia DeJong, RN, MSN, MBA

Michael Delaughter, MD

Daniel DeMarco, MD, FACP

James DeVille, MD

John Dixon, PhD, RN, NE-BC

William Dockery, MD

Simon Driver

Rosemary Dubiel, DO

Peter Dysert, MD

Diana Early, PT

Cara East, MD

Jacie Edelstein

James Edgerton, MD

Michael England, MD

Lori Ewalt-Hughes, RN-BC

Joseph Fay, MD

Giovanni Filardo, PhD, MPH

Karen Fink, MD, PhD

Bernard Fischbach, MD

Tammy Fisher, RN, MBA

Sonya Flanders, MSN, RN

Neil Fleming, PhD

James Fleshman, MD

John Fordtran, MD

Michael Foreman, MS, MD, FACS

Troy Foster, DO

Pamela Fox, LCSW

Jay Franklin, MD

David French

Nicole Fromm, PsyD

Geoffrey Funk, MD

Dennis Gable, MD, RVT, FACS

Tiffany Garcia, MD

John Garrett, MD

Justin Gasper

Manjushree Gautam, MD

Kristin Gililland, PharmD

Javed Gill, MD

Ajay Goel, PhD

Robert Goldstein, MD, FACS

Stevan Gonzalez, MD, MS

Gonzalo Gonzalez-Stawinski, MD

Ambarish Gopal, MD

Deepika Gopal, MD, FACC

Valerie Gorman

Kimberley Graham

Michael Grant, MD

Dion Graybeal, MD

Paul Grayburn, MD

Pamela Green, RNFNP

Landis Griffeth, MD

Bradley Grimsley, MD

Daniel Gunn, MD

Shelley Hall, MD

Rita Hamilton, DO

Baron Hamman, MD

Katie Hammond

Sarah Harrison, PharmD

Carson Harrod, PhD

Jeanette Hasse, PhD

Robert Hebeler Jr., MD

Joseph Hise, MD

Trieu Ho, MD

Stephen Hohmann, MD

Sarah Holder, DO

Priscilla Hollander, MD, PhD

Houston Holmes, MD

Mary Horner

Richard Hostin, MD

Stephanie Houck, MD

Penny Huddleston, RN

Brian Hull, PT

Thomas Hutson, DO

Asher Imam, DO

Robert Inzer, MD

J. Jayachandran, MD

G. Kimble Jett, MD

Delbert Johns, MD

Kenneth Johnson, MD

Judith Joiner, RNC

Ronald Jones, MD

Sridevi Juvvadi, MD

Vijay Kalaria, MD

Erin Kane, MD

David Kang, MD

Jeffrey Kenkel, MD

Hafiza Khan, MD, FACC

Chaouki Khoury, MD

Peter Kim, MD

Casey Kinman, MD

Goran Klintmalm, MD, PhD

Sally Knox, MD

Kartik Konduri, MD

Robert Kowal, MD

Charles Kramer, PharmD

Sumant Krishnan, MD

Johannes Kuiper, MD

Jennifer Lakanen, PharmD

Jeffrey Lamont, MD

Christine Landry, MD

Hamid Latifi, MD

Emily Launhardt

Anne Lawrence, RN

Kennith Layton, MD

David, Le

Steven Leeds, MD

Bobbi Leeper, MN, RN

Sarah Leever

Bradley Lembcke, MD

Maria Rita Lepe-Suastegui, MD

Marygrace Leveille, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC

Marlon Levy, MD

Moshe Levy, MD

Warren Lichliter, MD

Brian Lima, MD

Rodney Lindsay, MD

Suzy Lockwood

Ana Lotshaw

Elizabeth Lucas, LCSW

Gerhard Maale, MD

Jay Mabrey, MD

Michael Mack, MD

Kevin Magee, MD

Randy Marcel, MD

Hal Martin

Andrew Masica, MD

David Mason, MD

Melissa Massey

Michael Massey

Carolyn Matthews, MD

Claudia Mattil

Joan Mayfield, PhD

Andrew McCollum, MD

Peter McCullough, MD, FACC

Micky McDaniel

Isaac Melguizo-Gavilanes, MD

Tricia Melhart, RD

Larry Melton, MD, PhD, FACP

Jose Mendez, MD

Robert Mennel, MD

Alan Menter, MD

Katherine Meredith

Mark Millard, MD

Alan Miller, MD, PhD

Osman Mir

Janice Mitchell, MD

Apurva Modi, MD

Furqan Moin, MD

Kimberley Monden, PhD

David Moore, MD

Adam Mora, MD

Philip Morales, MD

Skip Morelock

Kevin Motley

Mary Muldoon, RN

Ashley Mullins, RD, LD

Luz Muniz, MD

Natalie Murray, MD

Bashoo Naziruddin, PhD

Holly Neatherlin, BSN

Vanessa Nestor, MS, APRN-FNP-C

Daniel Nguyen, PharmD

Katherine Nguyen, PharmD

George Nissan, DO

John O’Brien, MD

Michael O’Brien, MD

John O’Connor, MD

Jacqueline O’Leary, MD

Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD

Gerlinde Obermoser, MD

Gerald Ogola, PhD, MPH

Chidi Oguh, PhD

SangKon Oh, PhD

Annette Okai, MD

Toke Omiwade

Sanjay Oommen, MD

Alexander Orellana

Cynthia Osborne, MD

Udaya Padakandla, MD

Anna Karolina Palucka, MD, PhD

Virginia Pascual, MD

Gregory Pearl, MD

Robert Perrillo, MD

Laura Petrey, MD

John Philip, MD

Joseph Philip

Lindsey Philpot

Jobeth Pilcher, EdD

Luis Pineiro, MD

John Pippen, MD

Robert Pollard, MD

Venuprasad Poojary, PhD

Srinivasa Potluri , MD

John Preskitt, MD

David Prewitt, MD

Elisa Priest

Olha Prijic, RNC

Kristin Rabenold

Tonda Raby, MSN, MA, RN

Lauren Rachal

Robert Rahimi, MD

Michael Ramsay, MD

Nakia Rapier, RN, BSN, CCRN

David Rawitscher, MD

Vance Redfield, MD

Sarah Rhodes, RN, BSN

Kim Rice, MD

Anna-Marie Riggins

Thomas Ritz, PhD

Ruth Robert, RN, PhD

Susan Roberts, MS, RD, LD, CNSD

William Roberts, MD

Margaret Roche, MS

Marivelisse Rodriguez-Rivera, PsyD

Randall Rosenblatt, MD

Leslie Rosenstein, PhD

Jana Rothbauer

Richard Ruiz, MD

Pamela Ruzic

William Ryan, MD

David Salisbury, PsyD

Cristina Sanders, DO

David Scherer, MD

Raphael Schiffmann, MD, MHSc

Lawrence Schiller, MD

William Schucany, MD

Dan Schuller

Sara Schulz, PharmD

Jeffrey Schussler, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Latora Scott, BSN, MPA

Shahid Shafi, MD, MPH, FACS

Marc Shalek, MD

Sadat Shamim, MD

Shirley Shiller

Esther Shin

Hyun Shin, MD

William Shutze, MD

Seema Sikka, MD

Elvio Silva, MD

Clifford Simmang, MD

Louis Sloan, MD

Stephanie Slocum

Robert Smith, MD

George Snipes, MD

LuAnn Snipes, PhD

Cedric Spak, MD

Monica Spencer

Joseph Spigel, MD

Rajashree Srinivasan, MD

Brett Stauffer

Jack Stecher, MD

Robert Stoler, MD

Marvin Stone, MD

Claude Stringer, MD

Mustafa Suterwala, MD

Chad Swank, PT, PhD

Alicia Swink

Harold Szerlip, MD

Molly Szerlip, MD

Anjanette Tan, MD

Alaina Tellson, RN, BSN

Giuliano Testa, MD

Ike Thacker, MD

Arianne Theiss

Narotham Thudi, MD

Linda Tjiong, MSN, DBA

Veeral Tolia, MD

Alex Tong, PhD

Nolan Toups

Molly Trammell

James Trotter, MD

Ginger Tsai-Nguyen, MD

Hideki Ueno, MD, PhD

Ravi Vallabhan, MD

Abbey Valvano, PhD

Estil Vance, MD

Javier Vasquez, MD, RVT

Carlos Velasco, MD

Robert Viere, MD

Rosanne Von Reyn, MS

Hao Wang, MD

Ann Warren, PhD

Martin Weiss, MD

Peter Wells, MD

Yuquan Wen

Lawrence Weprin

Matthew Westmoreland, MD

Kevin Wheelan, MD

Megan Wheeler, RN, MSN

Justin Whisenant, MD

Jonathan Whitfield, MD, ChB, FRCP(C)

Barry Wilcox, MD

Claudia Wilder, MSN

Larry Wolford, DMD

Yan Xiao, PhD

Angelito Yango, MD

Tiffany Ynosencio, MD

Jackie York, MD

Nicole Yost, MD

Daniel Zaghi, MD

Gerard Zurawski, PhD

M. Virginia Pascual, MD

Investigator

Dr. Pascual’s research endeavors have focused mainly on systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile arthritis. She has received a number of grants to support her investigations and recently received a $3.3 million grant from one of the National Institutes of Health to fund the Autoimmunity Center of Excellence at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR). She has authored more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, plus 31 chapters and reviews in either books or medical journals. Recently, Dr. Pascual was recognized by D CEO’s Excellence in Healthcare Awards for her achievements in medical research.

Gerard Zurawski, PhD

Investigator, Director, Center for Biotechnology, Co-Director of Baylor Institute for Immunology Research

Dr. Zurawski is a molecular biologist specializing in immunology and is dedicated to developing novel vaccines based on exploiting the central role of dendritic cells in initiating immunity. Backed by funding from several grants, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ANRS, Dr. Zurawski continues to focus on developing preventive vaccines, including those for HIV.

Ajay Goel, PhD

Dr. Goel’s primary research is focused on gastrointestinal cancer pathogenesis and its prevention, with a particular emphasis on the development of biomarkers for the early detection, prognostication and predicting response to chemotherapy for colorectal, pancreatic, gastric and liver cancer. In addition, he is researching the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers using integrative and alternative approaches, including botanical products. Dr. Goel has published more than 200 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals and several book chapters. He is also a primary inventor on more than 15 patents, serves on the editorial board of almost 15 leading journals, performs peer-reviewing activities for more than 100 scientific journals and acts on various grant funding committees of the National Institutes of Health and other international organizations.

Raphael Schiffmann, MD, MHSC

Director of the Institute of Metabolic Disease at Baylor Research Institute

Dr. Schiffmann is an expert on neurometabolic diseases, focusing his research efforts on lysosomal storage disorders such as Gaucher disease. His writings include more than 213 peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals, and 22 book chapters and reviews. He is an adjunct professor of biomedical studies at Baylor University and a clinical professor at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Dr. Schiffmann is an active member of the American Neurological Association, the International Child Neurology Association, the Child Neurology Society (USA), American Academy of Neurology and the Israeli Child Neurology Society.

Innovation Office

In the past, the Innovation Office has helped secure patents for various technologies, such as a simple method for analyzing metabolites in plasma obtained by a finger stick, which was developed by scientists at the Baylor Institute of Metabolic Disease under the leadership of Dr. Teodoro Bottiglieri. We’ve also evaluated patent applications for dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines and therapies, a field the Baylor Institute of Immunology Research has long led the way. Thanks to collaborations with private companies, investors and entrepreneurs, as well as academic partners, we’re uniquely positioned to translate great inventions into valuable products and services.

Immunotherapy: The Next Frontier for Treating Disease

What is immunotherapy? How is it different from other therapies? What diseases does it treat? Check out our infographic to find out.

How to Deliver Bad News with Empathy

Imagine that you’ve just been told, “You have cancer.”

While you imagine the feeling of devastation, numbness or overwhelming fear those three words hold, you’ve likely never pictured the emotional impact the delivery of diagnosis has on the person saying them.

For the medical professional, there is a lot of preparation that goes into the way you deliver a life-changing diagnosis.